Football News: 6-8-2026
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Dudley Dent
Jun 8, 2026, 8:06:40 AM (yesterday) Jun 8
to Tiger Tracks
Auburn Football News: 6-8-2026
Sophomore Auburn Linebacker Predicted to Have Breakout 2026 Season:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/sophomore-auburn-linebacker-predicted-to-have-breakout-2026-season
3 Auburn special teams players who could become household names in 2026:
https://flywareagle.com/3-auburn-special-teams-players-household-names-2026
Chandler Wooten sends a stern message on Auburn player's arrest:
https://flywareagle.com/chandler-wooten-sends-stern-message-auburn-player-arrest
Four-star offensive lineman recaps ‘awesome’ official visit to Auburn:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/06/four-star-offensive-lineman-recaps-awesome-official-visit-to-auburn.html
4-star in-state defensive lineman recaps Auburn official visit:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/06/4-star-in-state-defensive-lineman-recaps-auburn-official-visit.html
Auburn Big Man Camp Offensive MVP Talks Interest in Football Program:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/auburn-big-man-camp-offensive-mvp-talks-interest-in-football-program-calvin-landy
Elite 2029 QB CJ Cypher includes Auburn in top 10:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/recruiting/2026/06/05/auburn-football-recruiting-cj-cypher-top-10/90426258007/
Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/talking-auburn-baseball-and-football-recruiting--287569234/
Ex-Auburn football starter is looking up at FSU after latest intel:
https://flywareagle.com/ex-auburn-football-starter-looking-up-fsu-latest-intel
Remembering Paul Ellen: 'He loved Auburn':
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/06/5/remembering-paul-ellen-he-loved-auburn
Former Auburn linebacker ‘definitely the epitome of a Seahawk’:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/06/former-auburn-linebacker-definitely-the-epitome-of-a-seahawk.html
Sophomore Auburn Linebacker Predicted to Have Breakout 2026 Season
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
The Auburn Tigers have had some of the best linebacker play in the country over the last few years, with LSU transfer Xavier Atkins headlining last year’s production. However, CBS Sports recently released an article naming 12 SEC players poised for breakout seasons, and another Auburn linebacker got a nod: Bryce Deas.
Deas is a rising sophomore at Auburn who joined the roster as part of a Hugh Freeze recruiting effort at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md., a school that is rapidly becoming a pipeline for Auburn recruits. Out of high school, Deas was a four-star linebacker who was rated as the 27th-best in the class.
What stands out about Deas, to CBS Sports and its insiders, at its crux, is quite simple.
“He’s athletic as hell,” one insider said, before Brad Crawford added on that “The Tigers' scheme thrives on speed at all three levels, and Deas has the athletic profile to help stabilize the middle after pass rusher Amaris Williams transferred to Georgia. With Xavier Atkins alongside him, Deas won't be asked to carry the entire load against the run or in coverage.”
Splitting the load will be a big part of the scheme, especially for Deas, who only managed to string together eight tackles throughout his freshman season. However, the Tigers have several top pieces to share the load with Deas, including the aforementioned Atkins, Demarcus Riddick, Shadarius Toodle, Elijah Melendez and more.
With that said, Auburn linebackers tend to have impressive sophomore campaigns, and Xavier Atkins may be the best example. Atkins only had three tackles over his first season at LSU before heading to the Plains and leading the Tigers in a host of stats, including total tackles, in his sophomore campaign.
Deas managed to bring down eight ball carriers this past season, over double what Atkins was able to do in his first season. Now that Deas may be seeing more full-time production, those numbers could skyrocket as the Tigers’ 2026 season drags on.
“[Deas possesses] the trigger to attack downhill, fill gaps before plays develop and play with the swarming mentality Durkin demands at the point of contact,” Crawford wrote.
Auburn’s linebackers have been expected to be lethal in 2026 from the moment the Auburn faithful were informed that Atkins, Riddick and Melendez would be sticking around. Throw Deas, who is poised for a breakout season, into the mix, and the Tigers could have one of, if not the single, best linebacker cores in the country.
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3 Auburn special teams players who could become household names in 2026
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
The Auburn Tigers brought on many new coaches and coordinators during this past offseason's personnel overhaul. Jacob Bronowski, the Pitt Panthers' Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach over the past two seasons, comes to the Plains with many fantastic pieces to use.
Auburn's special teams unit claimed the No. 51 spot in ESPN's final SP+ rankings in 2025, which is solid footing but leaves room for improvement. While the special teams unit often put the offense in good positions, it didn't make enough big plays to bail out the offense's consistent lethargy.
These three special teamers could be Bronowski's biggest assets and move the needle the most during the 2026 season, all returning to the team after seeing varying degrees of success last year and before that:
K Alex McPherson
Alex McPherson's struggles are well-documented at this point. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in April 2024 and later getting surgery to remove his large intestine, McPherson was forced to wear an ostomy bag while playing. After going 19/20 on field goals and 49/49 on extra points his first two years, McPherson missed all but one game of the 2024 season and weighed as little as 110 pounds. Towns McGough struggled as the hometown kid (5/12), and Ian Vachon was a one-and-done who immediately transferred to the North Alabama Lions after the season. McPherson came back strong in 2025, going 20/23 on FGs and keeping his flawless career conversion rate on XPs intact.
This fall, having put much of the trauma and hardship of his intestinal issues behind him, McPherson has a chance to show the world the trajectory he was on before his health took a downturn a little over two years ago.
KR RayShawn Pleasant
The Tigers brought RayShawn Pleasant over from the Tulane Green Wave ahead of the 2025 season, and the decision couldn't have paid off better for then-special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford. Of course, Lunsford's only saving grace was in kick-returning, not punt-returning. More on that later. More on Pleasant now.
Pleasant had 412 kick return yards on 17 attempts, averaging 24.2 yards per return and even going 98 yards to the house on a return during a 38-24 victory against the Baylor Bears in Week 1 of the season. He was the bright spot of the special teams, though he stayed in his lane by only returning kicks.
PR Bryce Cain
Something's gotta give with Bryce Cain. As the only remaining member of the underwhelming "Freeze Four," Cain was clearly promised a role somewhere on Alex Golesh's team. With all of the incoming USF Bulls transfers in the receiving corps reviving their rapport with Byrum Brown, it probably won't be in the slot, as he'd probably like. Christian Neptune will get that job. Neptune doesn't have to steal every potential job, though.
With Pleasant returning kicks and doing it well, there isn't a role for Cain or Neptune there. Let's hope Auburn isn't going to let Cain's speed be a mostly off-ball role through two different regimes. Perhaps it's time he's unleashed as a punt-returner, bringing the ability to track high fly balls from his time in the outfield on the diamond at Baker High School.
Cain's lone kick return in his career was a 31-yarder against the South Alabama Jaguars last year. Lunsford never unleashed Cain, but perhaps Bronowski can. Let's finally see what Cain could do somewhere on the field this fall.
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Chandler Wooten sends a stern message on Auburn player's arrest
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
Former Auburn Tigers linebacker Chandler Wooten didn't like what he heard regarding a recent arrest on Saturday night involving an incoming transfer on Alex Golesh's football team. While he has compassion, Wooten also had gripes.
Per Wooten on X, regarding Ole Miss Rebels transfer EDGE Da'Shawn Womack's arrest in downtown Auburn, "Cmon now, we supposed to be locked in not locked up...Hopefully a learning experience for the young man."
The War Rapport's Mike Gittens provided details of the arrest around midnight central time. Per Gittens, "Auburn EDGE Rusher Da'Shawn Womack was allegedly arrested this evening fleeing police on a motorcycle. Details are scarce at this time but Womack was initially seen traveling at a high rate of speed when police attempted to pull him over. ... Womack did not stop initially according to reports but was eventually pulled over somewhere on college street after leading police on a chase through the north side of Auburn."
No statements have been provided by the program. That includes silence thus far from Golesh. Right now, everyone is gathering information before making any further judgment or decisions. This figures to be something that's addressed as early as Monday, though.
Based on past precedent, this isn't something that will cost Womack much, though he will almost certainly get chewed out by Golesh, DJ Durkin, and Vontrell King-Williams, at a minimum, at some point. In 2022, TJ Finley was spotted without a helmet on a moped and had a similar brush-up with the law. He was named the team's QB1 weeks later.
Womack is expected to be a major part of the defense, despite this incident. This won't be much of a roadblock, even if it did provide quite the headline during the weekend of a Super Regional loss in baseball.
Alex Golesh must draw a line in the sand and make it clear Auburn won't tolerate big mistakes
Womack could've put people in harm's way with reckless driving, but luckily, no one was hurt by his speeding down College St. This is the furthest one should be able to go without facing severe penalty from Golesh and Co.
Hugh Freeze claimed he didn't tolerate small things like parking violations, but it was found out that the players basically took control of the locker room. Accountability wasn't anywhere to be seen off the field and in practice, and it showed in games. Money can't dictate morality in the locker room. It shouldn't matter what anyone makes on NIL or rev-share. Everyone needs to behave the same, which is to say everyone needs to live and breathe the Creed. There's increased pressure on your personal brand when you have the orange and blue standard to uphold. That's what these players are taking big paychecks for, though, after all.
Golesh cannot harbor a losing culture at AU. There's no need to make an example of Womack, but there's every reason to make sure Womack's mistake is the last off-field legal trouble you hear about this program.
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Four-star offensive lineman recaps ‘awesome’ official visit to Auburn
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
As Auburn continues to build on its already strong 2027 offensive line class, it made a strong impression on one of its targets this weekend.
Four-star interior offensive lineman Reed Ramsier was on the Plains for an official visit this weekend and had nothing but positive things to say about his experience.
"It was awesome. It was great to be back at Auburn," Ramsier said. “There was a lot of good time spent with coaches watching film, talking about development, talking about me getting better as a player and as a person.”
Ramsier said his favorite part of the visit was spending time watching film with offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick.
“There were like five or six things he was critiquing me on, which I love,” Ramsier said. “Some people can’t take criticism. He wasn’t criticizing me. He was just trying to push me and get me better, which I loved. I could definitely see myself playing here and being coached by him and the support staff around him.”
Ramsier got a chance to build a relationship with one of Auburn’s current offensive linemen too. South Florida transfer Cole Skinner was Ramsier’s player host, an experience that Ramsier said he enjoyed.
“He’s a great dude,” Ramsier said of Skinner. “Being able to talk to him one-on-one about how he likes Auburn, it was just a great overall visit.”
Ramsier said Auburn is recruiting him to player either center or guard. Per 247Sports, the rising high school senior from Orlando, Florida, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds.
Rated as a four-star recruit, Ramsier is the No. 228 overall player in the country and the 12th-best interior offensive lineman, according to 247Sports.
Following his visit to Auburn, Ramsier said he has an official visit to Texas scheduled for next weekend. After that visit, Ramsier said he plans on making a decision.
It’s currently down to Texas and Auburn for Ramsier’s commitment, and Ramsier said the Tigers are in front after this weekend’s visit.
“I think it’s going to come down to development and where I feel like is home for me,” Ramsier said. “Home being a place I feel most comfortable and a place where I can see myself growing into a man and also a better football player and get my degree.”
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4-star in-state defensive lineman recaps Auburn official visit
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
This weekend wasn’t Marquis Evans’ first time on Auburn’s campus, but it was a chance for him to build a closer relationship with the Tigers’ staff.
The four-star defensive lineman out of Spain Park High School in Hoover is fresh off his official visit to Auburn and he had good things to say about his experience.
"It went good. I’m seeing everything I need to see," Evans said. “Treated right up there. It just feels like home. I’ve been here four or five times now, so it’s like home for me.”
Rated as a four-star recruit, Evans is the No. 414 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports composite rankings and the 19th-best player in Alabama. Evans tallied 28 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks during his junior season at Minor High School last year, according to MaxPreps.
At Auburn, Evans is being recruited as an edge rusher. During his official visit, Evans said he spent the most time with bucks and edges coach Coleman Hutzler.
“Sitting down with Coach Hutzler he talked about how exactly they see me fitting,” Evans said. “They pulled up some of my tape, some stuff that I did that correlates to what they did here.”
Prior to his Auburn visit, Evans took official visits to Tennessee and Miami. He still has official visits scheduled with Florida and South Carolina.
Evans said he wants to make a decision shortly after his final summer official visit and Auburn is in the mix. When asked what will go into that decision, Evans brought up multiple factors.
“Biggest factors for me is development and the people,” Evans said. “The more I go around, those have been the things from me since Day 1. Because everybody is going to sell you the same thing because it’s their job trying to get you to go there. The people are what makes the place honestly, and I’ve heard that a lot here.”
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Auburn Big Man Camp Offensive MVP Talks Interest in Football Program
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
This past Thursday, the Auburn Tigers held their annual Big Man Camp, which, as the name suggests, is a camp dedicated to hosting some of the best ‘big men,’ or offensive and defensive linemen, in the country.
At the end of the camp, 2027 DL Jamaine Lewis walked away with defensive MVP, while Calvin Landy, a 2028 OL, emerged with offensive MVP honors.
Landy is a class of 2028 offensive lineman who hails from Alpharetta, Ga. Though he has yet to receive a star designation, Landy has picked up big-time offers from programs like Georgia, Virginia Tech and Florida State, and after Big Man Camp, he added an Auburn offer to his ever-growing list.
After his camp and offer, Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with Landy to talk all things Auburn, including a connection that could make all the difference in his recruitment.
“Auburn is definitely a top school on my board,” he said. “My coach, Ben Grubbs, was an All-American there, and that definitely plays a big part in my decision… When I think of Auburn, I think of the atmosphere of the games and my coach, who went there and dominated at guard and later became a first-round draft pick.”
Landy does not have any official visits scheduled for the Plains just yet, but he maintains that he would love to visit, ideally during the season.
“I’m planning on coming to a game or two this fall,” he said, “hopefully the Iron Bowl. Excited to see the atmosphere.”
A big part of camps is the ability for coaches and prospects to interact on a personal level, as well as the opportunity to get a teaser of how playing for said coach would go. In Landy’s case, he was quite impressed with his interactions with the Tigers’ coaching staff.
“The coaching staff seems great, like they will push you hard,” he said. “Especially Coach Hoodie [Tyler Hudanick], love what he’s doing with the OL… What stands out about Auburn is the new coaching staff from South Florida. Coach Hoodie and Golesh seem legit and that there will be change in the environment.”
As for Landy himself, he models his game after top professional offensive linemen like Trent Williams and Penei Sewell, and his 6-foot-5, 280-pound frame could very well develop into physicality like theirs throughout his collegiate career.
“The biggest part of my game, I would say, is my athleticism, and I’m very coachable and ready to adapt to any playbook,” he said. “I will approach the rest of my high school years with confidence, but I know that I have to work for anything I want and that nothing will be given to me. [I have] a kill or be killed mentality.”
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Elite 2029 QB CJ Cypher includes Auburn in top 10
By Taylor Jones
Auburn Wire
The Auburn Tigers are in the mix to land a talented quarterback from one of the premier high school football programs in Georgia.
CJ Cypher, a class of 2029 quarterback from Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia, recently cut his list of prospective programs to 10, with Auburn remaining alive. The Tigers have plenty of time to deliver their pitch and win the sweepstakes, but they must battle several SEC rivals, including Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, and national power Notre Dame, until Cypher is ready to sign.
Cypher split time with Sam Houston signee Mason Holtzclaw at quarterback as a 9th grader during the 2025 season, but that did not alter his output as he completed 71% of his passes for 2,178 yards and 26 touchdowns with just three interceptions for the Trojans, which played a vital role in Carrollton reaching the GHSA Class 6A finals.
Now that Holtzclaw has graduated, Cypher is ready to lead the Carrollton offense in a full-time capacity. His leadership as a 9th grader was important to Carrollton's success last season and has earned him well-deserved attention heading into the 2026 season. Despite Cypher only being a 10th grader, he was recently included in Rivals' Top 5 Georgia high school quarterbacks to watch list compiled by Rivals' Andy Villamarzo.
Not only will he be a top quarterback to watch in terms of performance, but his recruitment also will be exciting to monitor over the next three seasons.
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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column
By Jason Caldwell
Crown them
What a job by the Auburn men's golf team in blitzing through the competition to win a second national championship in the last three years. It's pretty amazing how consistent they have been the last few years under the guidance of Nick Clinard and his staff. He mentioned the word culture time and time again during his talk on Friday at Toomer's Corner when they were celebrated, and there's no question that's one of the keys to success. They continue to bring in talented player after talented player and that creates competition from the moment the team gets together in August until the last putt is hit to finish the season. Whether that's Jackson Koivun battling to play the No. 1 spot or a veteran like Cayden Pope working his way into the lineup last season and becoming a key reason for the national title or freshmen playing big in the biggest of moments, making guys compete and learn how to play under pressure continues to pay off for the best program in the country
Randomness of tournament sports
It's just part of it. No matter how it works, some teams are going to catch a break and some teams are going to get difficult matchups. It happened to Auburn by drawing a veteran Ole Miss team that likely featured 3-4 MLB Draft choices on the team and some experienced big sticks. Mississippi State also got a difficult matchup by going to Georgia. On the flip side, Alabama got a huge break when St. John's won at Florida State. West Virginia got a Cal-Poly team that was 0-7 against NCAA Tournament teams this season.
Troy earned their opportunity to host with some big wins in Gainesville, but got an overmatched Little Rock team in a super regional. Oklahoma did the same, beating Georgia Tech to get a Kansas team that just wasn't ready.
In the end, you've still got to take care of business and we saw Ole Miss come to Auburn and do that very thing with a roster that had battled through some tough years. They stuck together and added a few key transfers and it paid off.
That's just part of it and it also shows the depth of the college baseball game at the moment. Going back to 2024, there would have been 24 possible teams make the College World Series. In those three years, North Carolina is the only team to go twice in the group. Pretty amazing parity in the sport at the moment.
What a year for Petro
Following a pair of seasons where he showed some promise but just couldn't shake the injury bug, RHP Alex Petrovic put it all together in 2026 and I'm not sure anyone imagined the kind of success he would have. Auburn did see enough from him in the fall to make him one of the legacy leaders for the Tigers, so there were some signs he was going to be a big part of things. But to imagine he would go 10-2 with an ERA of 3.21 in 17 starts wasn't on anyone's Bingo card.
Since going 3.2 innings against Texas on March 22, the only start for Petrovic that didn't go at least 5.0 innings was against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament where he got pulled following a weather delay. That consistency and steady performances for Auburn was especially evident in the final game of league series. He was at his best when the Tigers needed him the most.
We'll see what the future holds for Petrovic. Draft eligible this year, he's someone that will get some looks from MLB teams, but if the Tigers could get him back another year it would be huge for a pitching staff that should have some good pieces in place.
Recruiting momentum continues
It was a really good week last week for coach Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers on the recruiting trail following the first big official visit weekend. Getting running back Kingston Miles was a big deal with linebacker Isaac McNeil probably the biggest addition heading into week two of summer OV season. Now, the Tigers have an opportunity to keep adding to what is already a strong class. A name to keep an eye on is Reed Ramsier. He's a big offensive lineman and Auburn has already shown they're serious about that position. If the Tigers can get him it would be another massive get.
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Remembering Paul Ellen: 'He loved Auburn'
By Jeff Shearer
An aspiring high school teacher when he arrived at Auburn in 1970, Paul Ellen found his calling when a fellow freshman invited him to help build a campus radio station, WEGL, in Haley Center in the spring of 1971.
“I went down there and I never left, basically,” Ellen recalled in a 2020 Talking Tigers podcast interview with Andy Burcham. “Half of that original 12-person staff who knew literally nothing, wound up making a pretty nice career in broadcasting.”
For the better part of the next half century, Ellen helped broadcast and set the stage for some of the greatest moments in Auburn Athletics history, first serving as the voice of the Auburn Tigers from 1979-80, calling games from a plywood booth during construction of the west upper deck of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“He was an outstanding broadcaster and he could do everything,” said Burcham, the voice of the Auburn Tigers since 2019. “He could do play-by-play in any sport, he could do color commentary, he was a fabulous host. He was a great source of history for us with the network because he had been around it and he had done it for such a long time.”
Ellen passed away Thursday after an extended illness.
After a play-by-play stint at Southern Miss in the 1980s, Ellen returned to the Plains in 1990, excelling in a variety of roles for the Auburn Sports Network for the next 35 years, including studio host.
“It just felt right,” Ellen said in 2020. “When you’ve been someplace and left, under whatever circumstances, you don’t normally go back, but in that particular situation, it was met with open arms.”
After his 1975 Auburn University graduation, Ellen continued to call Auburn baseball games at WAUD while working for University Relations, broadcasting the program’s second College World Series appearance in 1976.
“That was a great experience,” said Ellen, who was only a couple years older than Auburn pitchers Joe Beckwith and Terry Leach.
Forty-three years later, in 2019, Ellen again called Auburn baseball in Omaha, joining Burcham in the booth following the death of Rod Bramblett.
“He was on that journey to our first World Series in a long time,” Auburn baseball coach Butch Thompson said. “A good friend. I know a lot of people have followed their Auburn teams with his voice.”
“It was a much different Omaha back in ’76 than it was this year,” Ellen reminisced with Burcham in 2020.
Not only did Ellen’s experience at WEGL launch a legendary broadcasting career, it’s also where he met his future wife, Pam, a fellow Auburn student and station volunteer. They were married soon after graduation.
A native of Gadsden, Alabama, Ellen attended middle school in south Georgia before graduating from high school in Ocala, Florida.
“Back then, Ocala was more a thoroughbred horse center so there were a lot of Auburn people there because Auburn had the only large animal hospital of any renown in the Southeast,” Ellen said. “There was a large Auburn contingent there and I came from an Auburn family, so we fit right in there. There was never a doubt in my parents’ mind where I would go to college.”
That first spring at WEGL, Ellen met another fellow freshman broadcaster, Bill Cameron, who would also go on to a long radio career covering Auburn.
“One of the best professionals and a class guy, too. Always prepared, and Paul had the voice to dream for when you’re in radio,” said Cameron, who partnered with Ellen on Auburn baseball broadcasts in the mid-1970s. “We go back to the days when it was a celebration when we got aluminum stands. We went from wooden bleachers and chicken wire behind home plate to aluminum stands without a press box.
“He really did his homework, loved what he was doing and he loved Auburn. He was always right there, willing to do whatever was needed.”
Ellen developed close relationships with his Auburn Sports Network teammates, including former athletes he’d interviewed years before during their playing days.
“Paul was an amazing person with an awesome spirit,” said Ronnie Brown, Auburn’s sideline reporter and a star running back on the Tigers’ undefeated 2004 SEC and national championship team. “The ultimate professional and a joy to be around.”
“Over 30 years, it’s been genuine close friends pretty quickly among everyone who’s there,” Ellen said in 2020. “The Friday night dinners before road games are as much as a highlight of my life as I can think of. This group has always been so connected even as some of the characters have changed.”
In addition to his broadcasting career, Ellen worked for a sports marketing firm in Atlanta before launching a successful career in media relations based in Newnan, Georgia.
“I love Auburn,” Ellen said in 2020. “Once you’re there, once you’re immersed, it’s different. It truly is a family because if someone outside the family attacks us, we’re going to defend that family honor. It goes way beyond sports. You’re always family if you run into another Auburn person. It’s just that way wherever you are."
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Ex-Auburn football starter is looking up at FSU after latest intel
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
Sources who spoke to CBS Sports' Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz are high on Florida State Seminoles transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels' ability to play a lot better than anyone expects during the 2026 college football season.
Per the source, "I think he's going to play a lot better than people think he will. He's really smart. He really has a workman attitude to everything. He's not prima-donnish. Everything he's gone through in his career, you can tell it keeps him humble and keeps him focused on the right things. I think he can feel the confidence that people in the program have in him. And he's also got enough playmakers around him that I think his talent will show up."
Daniels' 2025 season with the Auburn Tigers proved that he could withstand adversity and come through in the end to deliver results. Down the stretch, while Daniels didn't win any major matchups and was very much part of the team's malaise during a 10-3 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats at Jordan-Hare Stadium that led to Hugh Freeze's firing, the Atlanta-area native provided strong play. DJ Durkin had his responsibilities split for the Vanderbilt Commodores matchup, which led to a 45-38 OT loss in Nashville during his first game as the interim head coach. Daniels had four touchdowns and over 400 all-purpose yards. Let's not forget, AU was a Cam Coleman non-fumble away from tying the Iron Bowl in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing a sixth straight matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Who knows how far Daniels could've taken the Tigers had he had the chance.
Before Auburn, Daniels was with the Stanford Cardinal. The lack of a football investment made that a difficult landing spot, though he still made the most of it as Stanford transitioned from the Pac-12 to the ACC. Daniels set the Cardinal's single-season quarterback rushing record in 2024, though the wins were not there because of a putrid defensive effort. Stanford gave up 33.7 points and 414.1 yards per game, forcing Daniels to be Superman to win games in Palo Alto.
Will FSU be Ashton Daniels' best chance to win? Or was it Auburn?
On paper, 2026 in Tallahassee is a lame duck situation for everyone involved. Gus Malzahn's retirement in February was a major blow to the program's expectations, with Mike Norvell now taking over play-calling duties. Norvell has a solid history of play-calling, though, and with another year of Tony White's defensive schemes, paired with players he specifically chose to fit it, maybe Daniels has a chance.
Everyone is counting out the Noles this fall, which could provide a pressure-free situation for the locker room. If FSU could survive an early slate of matchups that includes the SMU Mustangs, Alabama, the Virginia Cavaliers, the Louisville Cardinals, and the Miami Hurricanes by October 17, maybe there's a chance to make a bowl game. Whether or not that's enough for Norvell to keep his job is a different question.
It's still a standard AU should've reached last year. Who knows what the Tigers could've accomplished had Daniels been in instead of Jackson Arnold early in the season. Daniels has a better chance to win in 2026 with FSU, mainly because he's getting his chance right from the jump.
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Former Auburn linebacker ‘definitely the epitome of a Seahawk’
By Mark Inabinett
al.com
Outside linebacker Derick Hall would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 NFL season. But instead of waiting to reach the open market for his next contract, Hall signed a three-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday.
“This place is really special to me,” Hall said. “For me, man, I really love the game of football. Obviously, the money enhances our job and what we do. But, man, it’s really about the love of the game, and then knowing what I’m getting myself into when I come to work every day. Obviously, this is a pristine organization, man.
“(General manager) John (Schneider), (coach) Mike (Macdonald) and all those guys, man, they do a great job of letting us be ourselves, truly come out and compete, and I know we’re going to win a lot of games and a lot of championships here. So I’m willing to sacrifice whatever everybody else thought I would be willing to make to be able to be here and be with this team.”
Being himself is one thing that makes Hall a special part of the Seahawks, safety Julian Love said.
“It was really cool to see somebody be a rookie and then get, like, that contract and become a leader and become a force multiplier, and that’s D-Hall,” Love said. “I think there’s nobody that talks more (expletive) or gets more (expletive) talked at to than Derick. Everyone’s on his ass all the time. And at the same time, everyone is hugging him, dapping him up because it’s work. Like, it’s really special when you know they earned it. It wasn’t given. There wasn’t any draft-status thing, clout, none of that. It’s all work.
“And so, yeah, he’s special. Not a person in the locker room that doesn’t love D-Hall. You’ll hear him. You probably can hear him right now if you listen closely. He’s loud. He’s funny. But he’s a pro, and he’s definitely the epitome of a Seahawk. …
“When we’re messing around, he’s the first one to show love and also roast a little bit. And so that balance, it’s like contagious, so you feel just like he’s a contagious energy. And so, yeah, I can’t speak highly enough. We’ve had a lot of great talks this offseason about him just becoming a leader for us. You know, he was rotating a lot last year, the past few years. But when he’s on the field, we’re a better defense.”
Hall said the way he fits in with his teammates was one of the reasons he wanted to stay with Seattle.
“Just magnifying, being myself, and I think the guys are receptive to that,” Hall said. “They know when I come in the building, I’m going to be loud. I’m going to talk my junk. They’re going to talk back. We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to be shadow boxing 100 times a day. I may win one, I may win 50, but the conversation and talking crap still’s going to be the same. So I think it’s pretty cool, man. Just the camaraderie and love that we have for one another is special.
“And then, like I said, man, just signing an extension and walking in the meeting and walking in the locker room, it was just so special. Everybody’s so happy for me, and, obviously, vice versa. For me to be able to stay here and continue to play with these guys is very special to me.”
Hall had a season left on the four-year, $9.116 million contract he signed as a second-round draft pick from Auburn in 2023. Designed to keep Hall with the Seahawks through the 2029 season, the extension is worth $42 million and includes a $13 million signing bonus and $21 million in guaranteed money.
Hall signed the extension about one month after he was featured in a promotional campaign from Huggies titled “Natural Born Fighters.” The baby-product brand sought to recognize the strength of NICU babies and support their families, nurses and other caregivers.
When Hall was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on March 19, 2001, he was four months premature and weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces. He spent nearly the first five months of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Memorial Hospital Gulfport.
“It’s pretty special looking from where I come from to looking at where the Lord has blessed me now, man,” Hall said. “It’s unbelievable, it’s unimaginable and just continues to show people, man, no matter where you start, no matter where you come from, there’s always hope. And I’m big in my faith, obviously, so I’m faith-based. But, I mean, you just believe in God, man, the sky’s the limit.”
Hall started 14 times and recorded eight sacks in 2024, when he played 674 defensive snaps. In 2025, the additions of 11-year veteran DeMarcus Lawrence and nine-year veteran Dante Fowler reduced Hall’s playing time, and he had two sacks, three starts and 420 defensive snaps in 14 regular-season games.
But during Seattle’s 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, Hall matched his season total with two sacks.
On his second sack, Hall caused quarterback Drake Maye to fumble, and the Seahawks recovered at the New England 37-yard line. Seattle cashed in the strip-sack for the game’s first touchdown to take a 19-0 lead with 13:34 to play.
“Last year was pretty tough for me,” Hall said. “I mean, obviously, the pass-rush rate was high, the pressure rate was high, but it was hard for me to get home. And I would just always, I’m like, ‘God, like, I’m there, I’m there, I’m there.’ And, man, I was letting it worry me so much, and one night I just prayed. I’m like, ‘Lord, whenever the time comes, I’ll be here. I’ll be prepared. I’m just continue to do the work, continue to grind every day, and put my best foot forward.’
“And what better time for it to show itself than on the worldwide stage, man, the Super Bowl, and I was just overjoyed. You know, I was so overjoyed for that moment, knowing all the work that I put in all year and having it show up at that time, it was pretty special for me.”
Hall said he had plenty of room to grow as the Seahawks seek to repeat as the NFL champions in the 2026 season.
“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Hall said. “There’s so much more for me, and I know there’s so much greater heights that I can go to in my game of ball, and it’s just continue to work towards that every single day. …
“Just detailing out my game, detailing out my pass rush. Like, again, power’s my thing. I feel like I set the edge, I play the run really well. But, man, just being able to get back out on edges, being able to set up my rushes a lot better and turn those pressures and hits that I had last year into sacks and getting there just that much of a tick faster, and I think we’re drilling that every single day. And that’s what I’m working. I haven’t worked any power.
“And that’s just what it is for me, man. I’m just trying to put the nail on the hammer, keep pushing the envelope and continue to grow in the areas where I feel like I need to grow.”
Sophomore Auburn Linebacker Predicted to Have Breakout 2026 Season:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/sophomore-auburn-linebacker-predicted-to-have-breakout-2026-season
3 Auburn special teams players who could become household names in 2026:
https://flywareagle.com/3-auburn-special-teams-players-household-names-2026
Chandler Wooten sends a stern message on Auburn player's arrest:
https://flywareagle.com/chandler-wooten-sends-stern-message-auburn-player-arrest
Four-star offensive lineman recaps ‘awesome’ official visit to Auburn:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/06/four-star-offensive-lineman-recaps-awesome-official-visit-to-auburn.html
4-star in-state defensive lineman recaps Auburn official visit:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/06/4-star-in-state-defensive-lineman-recaps-auburn-official-visit.html
Auburn Big Man Camp Offensive MVP Talks Interest in Football Program:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/auburn-big-man-camp-offensive-mvp-talks-interest-in-football-program-calvin-landy
Elite 2029 QB CJ Cypher includes Auburn in top 10:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/recruiting/2026/06/05/auburn-football-recruiting-cj-cypher-top-10/90426258007/
Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/talking-auburn-baseball-and-football-recruiting--287569234/
Ex-Auburn football starter is looking up at FSU after latest intel:
https://flywareagle.com/ex-auburn-football-starter-looking-up-fsu-latest-intel
Remembering Paul Ellen: 'He loved Auburn':
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/06/5/remembering-paul-ellen-he-loved-auburn
Former Auburn linebacker ‘definitely the epitome of a Seahawk’:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/06/former-auburn-linebacker-definitely-the-epitome-of-a-seahawk.html
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By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
The Auburn Tigers have had some of the best linebacker play in the country over the last few years, with LSU transfer Xavier Atkins headlining last year’s production. However, CBS Sports recently released an article naming 12 SEC players poised for breakout seasons, and another Auburn linebacker got a nod: Bryce Deas.
Deas is a rising sophomore at Auburn who joined the roster as part of a Hugh Freeze recruiting effort at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md., a school that is rapidly becoming a pipeline for Auburn recruits. Out of high school, Deas was a four-star linebacker who was rated as the 27th-best in the class.
What stands out about Deas, to CBS Sports and its insiders, at its crux, is quite simple.
“He’s athletic as hell,” one insider said, before Brad Crawford added on that “The Tigers' scheme thrives on speed at all three levels, and Deas has the athletic profile to help stabilize the middle after pass rusher Amaris Williams transferred to Georgia. With Xavier Atkins alongside him, Deas won't be asked to carry the entire load against the run or in coverage.”
Splitting the load will be a big part of the scheme, especially for Deas, who only managed to string together eight tackles throughout his freshman season. However, the Tigers have several top pieces to share the load with Deas, including the aforementioned Atkins, Demarcus Riddick, Shadarius Toodle, Elijah Melendez and more.
With that said, Auburn linebackers tend to have impressive sophomore campaigns, and Xavier Atkins may be the best example. Atkins only had three tackles over his first season at LSU before heading to the Plains and leading the Tigers in a host of stats, including total tackles, in his sophomore campaign.
Deas managed to bring down eight ball carriers this past season, over double what Atkins was able to do in his first season. Now that Deas may be seeing more full-time production, those numbers could skyrocket as the Tigers’ 2026 season drags on.
“[Deas possesses] the trigger to attack downhill, fill gaps before plays develop and play with the swarming mentality Durkin demands at the point of contact,” Crawford wrote.
Auburn’s linebackers have been expected to be lethal in 2026 from the moment the Auburn faithful were informed that Atkins, Riddick and Melendez would be sticking around. Throw Deas, who is poised for a breakout season, into the mix, and the Tigers could have one of, if not the single, best linebacker cores in the country.
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3 Auburn special teams players who could become household names in 2026
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
The Auburn Tigers brought on many new coaches and coordinators during this past offseason's personnel overhaul. Jacob Bronowski, the Pitt Panthers' Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach over the past two seasons, comes to the Plains with many fantastic pieces to use.
Auburn's special teams unit claimed the No. 51 spot in ESPN's final SP+ rankings in 2025, which is solid footing but leaves room for improvement. While the special teams unit often put the offense in good positions, it didn't make enough big plays to bail out the offense's consistent lethargy.
These three special teamers could be Bronowski's biggest assets and move the needle the most during the 2026 season, all returning to the team after seeing varying degrees of success last year and before that:
K Alex McPherson
Alex McPherson's struggles are well-documented at this point. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in April 2024 and later getting surgery to remove his large intestine, McPherson was forced to wear an ostomy bag while playing. After going 19/20 on field goals and 49/49 on extra points his first two years, McPherson missed all but one game of the 2024 season and weighed as little as 110 pounds. Towns McGough struggled as the hometown kid (5/12), and Ian Vachon was a one-and-done who immediately transferred to the North Alabama Lions after the season. McPherson came back strong in 2025, going 20/23 on FGs and keeping his flawless career conversion rate on XPs intact.
This fall, having put much of the trauma and hardship of his intestinal issues behind him, McPherson has a chance to show the world the trajectory he was on before his health took a downturn a little over two years ago.
KR RayShawn Pleasant
The Tigers brought RayShawn Pleasant over from the Tulane Green Wave ahead of the 2025 season, and the decision couldn't have paid off better for then-special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford. Of course, Lunsford's only saving grace was in kick-returning, not punt-returning. More on that later. More on Pleasant now.
Pleasant had 412 kick return yards on 17 attempts, averaging 24.2 yards per return and even going 98 yards to the house on a return during a 38-24 victory against the Baylor Bears in Week 1 of the season. He was the bright spot of the special teams, though he stayed in his lane by only returning kicks.
PR Bryce Cain
Something's gotta give with Bryce Cain. As the only remaining member of the underwhelming "Freeze Four," Cain was clearly promised a role somewhere on Alex Golesh's team. With all of the incoming USF Bulls transfers in the receiving corps reviving their rapport with Byrum Brown, it probably won't be in the slot, as he'd probably like. Christian Neptune will get that job. Neptune doesn't have to steal every potential job, though.
With Pleasant returning kicks and doing it well, there isn't a role for Cain or Neptune there. Let's hope Auburn isn't going to let Cain's speed be a mostly off-ball role through two different regimes. Perhaps it's time he's unleashed as a punt-returner, bringing the ability to track high fly balls from his time in the outfield on the diamond at Baker High School.
Cain's lone kick return in his career was a 31-yarder against the South Alabama Jaguars last year. Lunsford never unleashed Cain, but perhaps Bronowski can. Let's finally see what Cain could do somewhere on the field this fall.
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Chandler Wooten sends a stern message on Auburn player's arrest
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
Former Auburn Tigers linebacker Chandler Wooten didn't like what he heard regarding a recent arrest on Saturday night involving an incoming transfer on Alex Golesh's football team. While he has compassion, Wooten also had gripes.
Per Wooten on X, regarding Ole Miss Rebels transfer EDGE Da'Shawn Womack's arrest in downtown Auburn, "Cmon now, we supposed to be locked in not locked up...Hopefully a learning experience for the young man."
The War Rapport's Mike Gittens provided details of the arrest around midnight central time. Per Gittens, "Auburn EDGE Rusher Da'Shawn Womack was allegedly arrested this evening fleeing police on a motorcycle. Details are scarce at this time but Womack was initially seen traveling at a high rate of speed when police attempted to pull him over. ... Womack did not stop initially according to reports but was eventually pulled over somewhere on college street after leading police on a chase through the north side of Auburn."
No statements have been provided by the program. That includes silence thus far from Golesh. Right now, everyone is gathering information before making any further judgment or decisions. This figures to be something that's addressed as early as Monday, though.
Based on past precedent, this isn't something that will cost Womack much, though he will almost certainly get chewed out by Golesh, DJ Durkin, and Vontrell King-Williams, at a minimum, at some point. In 2022, TJ Finley was spotted without a helmet on a moped and had a similar brush-up with the law. He was named the team's QB1 weeks later.
Womack is expected to be a major part of the defense, despite this incident. This won't be much of a roadblock, even if it did provide quite the headline during the weekend of a Super Regional loss in baseball.
Alex Golesh must draw a line in the sand and make it clear Auburn won't tolerate big mistakes
Womack could've put people in harm's way with reckless driving, but luckily, no one was hurt by his speeding down College St. This is the furthest one should be able to go without facing severe penalty from Golesh and Co.
Hugh Freeze claimed he didn't tolerate small things like parking violations, but it was found out that the players basically took control of the locker room. Accountability wasn't anywhere to be seen off the field and in practice, and it showed in games. Money can't dictate morality in the locker room. It shouldn't matter what anyone makes on NIL or rev-share. Everyone needs to behave the same, which is to say everyone needs to live and breathe the Creed. There's increased pressure on your personal brand when you have the orange and blue standard to uphold. That's what these players are taking big paychecks for, though, after all.
Golesh cannot harbor a losing culture at AU. There's no need to make an example of Womack, but there's every reason to make sure Womack's mistake is the last off-field legal trouble you hear about this program.
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Four-star offensive lineman recaps ‘awesome’ official visit to Auburn
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
As Auburn continues to build on its already strong 2027 offensive line class, it made a strong impression on one of its targets this weekend.
Four-star interior offensive lineman Reed Ramsier was on the Plains for an official visit this weekend and had nothing but positive things to say about his experience.
"It was awesome. It was great to be back at Auburn," Ramsier said. “There was a lot of good time spent with coaches watching film, talking about development, talking about me getting better as a player and as a person.”
Ramsier said his favorite part of the visit was spending time watching film with offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick.
“There were like five or six things he was critiquing me on, which I love,” Ramsier said. “Some people can’t take criticism. He wasn’t criticizing me. He was just trying to push me and get me better, which I loved. I could definitely see myself playing here and being coached by him and the support staff around him.”
Ramsier got a chance to build a relationship with one of Auburn’s current offensive linemen too. South Florida transfer Cole Skinner was Ramsier’s player host, an experience that Ramsier said he enjoyed.
“He’s a great dude,” Ramsier said of Skinner. “Being able to talk to him one-on-one about how he likes Auburn, it was just a great overall visit.”
Ramsier said Auburn is recruiting him to player either center or guard. Per 247Sports, the rising high school senior from Orlando, Florida, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds.
Rated as a four-star recruit, Ramsier is the No. 228 overall player in the country and the 12th-best interior offensive lineman, according to 247Sports.
Following his visit to Auburn, Ramsier said he has an official visit to Texas scheduled for next weekend. After that visit, Ramsier said he plans on making a decision.
It’s currently down to Texas and Auburn for Ramsier’s commitment, and Ramsier said the Tigers are in front after this weekend’s visit.
“I think it’s going to come down to development and where I feel like is home for me,” Ramsier said. “Home being a place I feel most comfortable and a place where I can see myself growing into a man and also a better football player and get my degree.”
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4-star in-state defensive lineman recaps Auburn official visit
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
This weekend wasn’t Marquis Evans’ first time on Auburn’s campus, but it was a chance for him to build a closer relationship with the Tigers’ staff.
The four-star defensive lineman out of Spain Park High School in Hoover is fresh off his official visit to Auburn and he had good things to say about his experience.
"It went good. I’m seeing everything I need to see," Evans said. “Treated right up there. It just feels like home. I’ve been here four or five times now, so it’s like home for me.”
Rated as a four-star recruit, Evans is the No. 414 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports composite rankings and the 19th-best player in Alabama. Evans tallied 28 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks during his junior season at Minor High School last year, according to MaxPreps.
At Auburn, Evans is being recruited as an edge rusher. During his official visit, Evans said he spent the most time with bucks and edges coach Coleman Hutzler.
“Sitting down with Coach Hutzler he talked about how exactly they see me fitting,” Evans said. “They pulled up some of my tape, some stuff that I did that correlates to what they did here.”
Prior to his Auburn visit, Evans took official visits to Tennessee and Miami. He still has official visits scheduled with Florida and South Carolina.
Evans said he wants to make a decision shortly after his final summer official visit and Auburn is in the mix. When asked what will go into that decision, Evans brought up multiple factors.
“Biggest factors for me is development and the people,” Evans said. “The more I go around, those have been the things from me since Day 1. Because everybody is going to sell you the same thing because it’s their job trying to get you to go there. The people are what makes the place honestly, and I’ve heard that a lot here.”
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Auburn Big Man Camp Offensive MVP Talks Interest in Football Program
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Tigers on SI
This past Thursday, the Auburn Tigers held their annual Big Man Camp, which, as the name suggests, is a camp dedicated to hosting some of the best ‘big men,’ or offensive and defensive linemen, in the country.
At the end of the camp, 2027 DL Jamaine Lewis walked away with defensive MVP, while Calvin Landy, a 2028 OL, emerged with offensive MVP honors.
Landy is a class of 2028 offensive lineman who hails from Alpharetta, Ga. Though he has yet to receive a star designation, Landy has picked up big-time offers from programs like Georgia, Virginia Tech and Florida State, and after Big Man Camp, he added an Auburn offer to his ever-growing list.
After his camp and offer, Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with Landy to talk all things Auburn, including a connection that could make all the difference in his recruitment.
“Auburn is definitely a top school on my board,” he said. “My coach, Ben Grubbs, was an All-American there, and that definitely plays a big part in my decision… When I think of Auburn, I think of the atmosphere of the games and my coach, who went there and dominated at guard and later became a first-round draft pick.”
Landy does not have any official visits scheduled for the Plains just yet, but he maintains that he would love to visit, ideally during the season.
“I’m planning on coming to a game or two this fall,” he said, “hopefully the Iron Bowl. Excited to see the atmosphere.”
A big part of camps is the ability for coaches and prospects to interact on a personal level, as well as the opportunity to get a teaser of how playing for said coach would go. In Landy’s case, he was quite impressed with his interactions with the Tigers’ coaching staff.
“The coaching staff seems great, like they will push you hard,” he said. “Especially Coach Hoodie [Tyler Hudanick], love what he’s doing with the OL… What stands out about Auburn is the new coaching staff from South Florida. Coach Hoodie and Golesh seem legit and that there will be change in the environment.”
As for Landy himself, he models his game after top professional offensive linemen like Trent Williams and Penei Sewell, and his 6-foot-5, 280-pound frame could very well develop into physicality like theirs throughout his collegiate career.
“The biggest part of my game, I would say, is my athleticism, and I’m very coachable and ready to adapt to any playbook,” he said. “I will approach the rest of my high school years with confidence, but I know that I have to work for anything I want and that nothing will be given to me. [I have] a kill or be killed mentality.”
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Elite 2029 QB CJ Cypher includes Auburn in top 10
By Taylor Jones
Auburn Wire
The Auburn Tigers are in the mix to land a talented quarterback from one of the premier high school football programs in Georgia.
CJ Cypher, a class of 2029 quarterback from Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia, recently cut his list of prospective programs to 10, with Auburn remaining alive. The Tigers have plenty of time to deliver their pitch and win the sweepstakes, but they must battle several SEC rivals, including Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, and national power Notre Dame, until Cypher is ready to sign.
Cypher split time with Sam Houston signee Mason Holtzclaw at quarterback as a 9th grader during the 2025 season, but that did not alter his output as he completed 71% of his passes for 2,178 yards and 26 touchdowns with just three interceptions for the Trojans, which played a vital role in Carrollton reaching the GHSA Class 6A finals.
Now that Holtzclaw has graduated, Cypher is ready to lead the Carrollton offense in a full-time capacity. His leadership as a 9th grader was important to Carrollton's success last season and has earned him well-deserved attention heading into the 2026 season. Despite Cypher only being a 10th grader, he was recently included in Rivals' Top 5 Georgia high school quarterbacks to watch list compiled by Rivals' Andy Villamarzo.
Not only will he be a top quarterback to watch in terms of performance, but his recruitment also will be exciting to monitor over the next three seasons.
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Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column
By Jason Caldwell
Crown them
What a job by the Auburn men's golf team in blitzing through the competition to win a second national championship in the last three years. It's pretty amazing how consistent they have been the last few years under the guidance of Nick Clinard and his staff. He mentioned the word culture time and time again during his talk on Friday at Toomer's Corner when they were celebrated, and there's no question that's one of the keys to success. They continue to bring in talented player after talented player and that creates competition from the moment the team gets together in August until the last putt is hit to finish the season. Whether that's Jackson Koivun battling to play the No. 1 spot or a veteran like Cayden Pope working his way into the lineup last season and becoming a key reason for the national title or freshmen playing big in the biggest of moments, making guys compete and learn how to play under pressure continues to pay off for the best program in the country
Randomness of tournament sports
It's just part of it. No matter how it works, some teams are going to catch a break and some teams are going to get difficult matchups. It happened to Auburn by drawing a veteran Ole Miss team that likely featured 3-4 MLB Draft choices on the team and some experienced big sticks. Mississippi State also got a difficult matchup by going to Georgia. On the flip side, Alabama got a huge break when St. John's won at Florida State. West Virginia got a Cal-Poly team that was 0-7 against NCAA Tournament teams this season.
Troy earned their opportunity to host with some big wins in Gainesville, but got an overmatched Little Rock team in a super regional. Oklahoma did the same, beating Georgia Tech to get a Kansas team that just wasn't ready.
In the end, you've still got to take care of business and we saw Ole Miss come to Auburn and do that very thing with a roster that had battled through some tough years. They stuck together and added a few key transfers and it paid off.
That's just part of it and it also shows the depth of the college baseball game at the moment. Going back to 2024, there would have been 24 possible teams make the College World Series. In those three years, North Carolina is the only team to go twice in the group. Pretty amazing parity in the sport at the moment.
What a year for Petro
Following a pair of seasons where he showed some promise but just couldn't shake the injury bug, RHP Alex Petrovic put it all together in 2026 and I'm not sure anyone imagined the kind of success he would have. Auburn did see enough from him in the fall to make him one of the legacy leaders for the Tigers, so there were some signs he was going to be a big part of things. But to imagine he would go 10-2 with an ERA of 3.21 in 17 starts wasn't on anyone's Bingo card.
Since going 3.2 innings against Texas on March 22, the only start for Petrovic that didn't go at least 5.0 innings was against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament where he got pulled following a weather delay. That consistency and steady performances for Auburn was especially evident in the final game of league series. He was at his best when the Tigers needed him the most.
We'll see what the future holds for Petrovic. Draft eligible this year, he's someone that will get some looks from MLB teams, but if the Tigers could get him back another year it would be huge for a pitching staff that should have some good pieces in place.
Recruiting momentum continues
It was a really good week last week for coach Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers on the recruiting trail following the first big official visit weekend. Getting running back Kingston Miles was a big deal with linebacker Isaac McNeil probably the biggest addition heading into week two of summer OV season. Now, the Tigers have an opportunity to keep adding to what is already a strong class. A name to keep an eye on is Reed Ramsier. He's a big offensive lineman and Auburn has already shown they're serious about that position. If the Tigers can get him it would be another massive get.
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Remembering Paul Ellen: 'He loved Auburn'
By Jeff Shearer
An aspiring high school teacher when he arrived at Auburn in 1970, Paul Ellen found his calling when a fellow freshman invited him to help build a campus radio station, WEGL, in Haley Center in the spring of 1971.
“I went down there and I never left, basically,” Ellen recalled in a 2020 Talking Tigers podcast interview with Andy Burcham. “Half of that original 12-person staff who knew literally nothing, wound up making a pretty nice career in broadcasting.”
For the better part of the next half century, Ellen helped broadcast and set the stage for some of the greatest moments in Auburn Athletics history, first serving as the voice of the Auburn Tigers from 1979-80, calling games from a plywood booth during construction of the west upper deck of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“He was an outstanding broadcaster and he could do everything,” said Burcham, the voice of the Auburn Tigers since 2019. “He could do play-by-play in any sport, he could do color commentary, he was a fabulous host. He was a great source of history for us with the network because he had been around it and he had done it for such a long time.”
Ellen passed away Thursday after an extended illness.
After a play-by-play stint at Southern Miss in the 1980s, Ellen returned to the Plains in 1990, excelling in a variety of roles for the Auburn Sports Network for the next 35 years, including studio host.
“It just felt right,” Ellen said in 2020. “When you’ve been someplace and left, under whatever circumstances, you don’t normally go back, but in that particular situation, it was met with open arms.”
After his 1975 Auburn University graduation, Ellen continued to call Auburn baseball games at WAUD while working for University Relations, broadcasting the program’s second College World Series appearance in 1976.
“That was a great experience,” said Ellen, who was only a couple years older than Auburn pitchers Joe Beckwith and Terry Leach.
Forty-three years later, in 2019, Ellen again called Auburn baseball in Omaha, joining Burcham in the booth following the death of Rod Bramblett.
“He was on that journey to our first World Series in a long time,” Auburn baseball coach Butch Thompson said. “A good friend. I know a lot of people have followed their Auburn teams with his voice.”
“It was a much different Omaha back in ’76 than it was this year,” Ellen reminisced with Burcham in 2020.
Not only did Ellen’s experience at WEGL launch a legendary broadcasting career, it’s also where he met his future wife, Pam, a fellow Auburn student and station volunteer. They were married soon after graduation.
A native of Gadsden, Alabama, Ellen attended middle school in south Georgia before graduating from high school in Ocala, Florida.
“Back then, Ocala was more a thoroughbred horse center so there were a lot of Auburn people there because Auburn had the only large animal hospital of any renown in the Southeast,” Ellen said. “There was a large Auburn contingent there and I came from an Auburn family, so we fit right in there. There was never a doubt in my parents’ mind where I would go to college.”
That first spring at WEGL, Ellen met another fellow freshman broadcaster, Bill Cameron, who would also go on to a long radio career covering Auburn.
“One of the best professionals and a class guy, too. Always prepared, and Paul had the voice to dream for when you’re in radio,” said Cameron, who partnered with Ellen on Auburn baseball broadcasts in the mid-1970s. “We go back to the days when it was a celebration when we got aluminum stands. We went from wooden bleachers and chicken wire behind home plate to aluminum stands without a press box.
“He really did his homework, loved what he was doing and he loved Auburn. He was always right there, willing to do whatever was needed.”
Ellen developed close relationships with his Auburn Sports Network teammates, including former athletes he’d interviewed years before during their playing days.
“Paul was an amazing person with an awesome spirit,” said Ronnie Brown, Auburn’s sideline reporter and a star running back on the Tigers’ undefeated 2004 SEC and national championship team. “The ultimate professional and a joy to be around.”
“Over 30 years, it’s been genuine close friends pretty quickly among everyone who’s there,” Ellen said in 2020. “The Friday night dinners before road games are as much as a highlight of my life as I can think of. This group has always been so connected even as some of the characters have changed.”
In addition to his broadcasting career, Ellen worked for a sports marketing firm in Atlanta before launching a successful career in media relations based in Newnan, Georgia.
“I love Auburn,” Ellen said in 2020. “Once you’re there, once you’re immersed, it’s different. It truly is a family because if someone outside the family attacks us, we’re going to defend that family honor. It goes way beyond sports. You’re always family if you run into another Auburn person. It’s just that way wherever you are."
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Ex-Auburn football starter is looking up at FSU after latest intel
By Andrew Hughes
Fly War Eagle
Sources who spoke to CBS Sports' Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz are high on Florida State Seminoles transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels' ability to play a lot better than anyone expects during the 2026 college football season.
Per the source, "I think he's going to play a lot better than people think he will. He's really smart. He really has a workman attitude to everything. He's not prima-donnish. Everything he's gone through in his career, you can tell it keeps him humble and keeps him focused on the right things. I think he can feel the confidence that people in the program have in him. And he's also got enough playmakers around him that I think his talent will show up."
Daniels' 2025 season with the Auburn Tigers proved that he could withstand adversity and come through in the end to deliver results. Down the stretch, while Daniels didn't win any major matchups and was very much part of the team's malaise during a 10-3 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats at Jordan-Hare Stadium that led to Hugh Freeze's firing, the Atlanta-area native provided strong play. DJ Durkin had his responsibilities split for the Vanderbilt Commodores matchup, which led to a 45-38 OT loss in Nashville during his first game as the interim head coach. Daniels had four touchdowns and over 400 all-purpose yards. Let's not forget, AU was a Cam Coleman non-fumble away from tying the Iron Bowl in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing a sixth straight matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Who knows how far Daniels could've taken the Tigers had he had the chance.
Before Auburn, Daniels was with the Stanford Cardinal. The lack of a football investment made that a difficult landing spot, though he still made the most of it as Stanford transitioned from the Pac-12 to the ACC. Daniels set the Cardinal's single-season quarterback rushing record in 2024, though the wins were not there because of a putrid defensive effort. Stanford gave up 33.7 points and 414.1 yards per game, forcing Daniels to be Superman to win games in Palo Alto.
Will FSU be Ashton Daniels' best chance to win? Or was it Auburn?
On paper, 2026 in Tallahassee is a lame duck situation for everyone involved. Gus Malzahn's retirement in February was a major blow to the program's expectations, with Mike Norvell now taking over play-calling duties. Norvell has a solid history of play-calling, though, and with another year of Tony White's defensive schemes, paired with players he specifically chose to fit it, maybe Daniels has a chance.
Everyone is counting out the Noles this fall, which could provide a pressure-free situation for the locker room. If FSU could survive an early slate of matchups that includes the SMU Mustangs, Alabama, the Virginia Cavaliers, the Louisville Cardinals, and the Miami Hurricanes by October 17, maybe there's a chance to make a bowl game. Whether or not that's enough for Norvell to keep his job is a different question.
It's still a standard AU should've reached last year. Who knows what the Tigers could've accomplished had Daniels been in instead of Jackson Arnold early in the season. Daniels has a better chance to win in 2026 with FSU, mainly because he's getting his chance right from the jump.
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Former Auburn linebacker ‘definitely the epitome of a Seahawk’
By Mark Inabinett
al.com
Outside linebacker Derick Hall would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 NFL season. But instead of waiting to reach the open market for his next contract, Hall signed a three-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday.
“This place is really special to me,” Hall said. “For me, man, I really love the game of football. Obviously, the money enhances our job and what we do. But, man, it’s really about the love of the game, and then knowing what I’m getting myself into when I come to work every day. Obviously, this is a pristine organization, man.
“(General manager) John (Schneider), (coach) Mike (Macdonald) and all those guys, man, they do a great job of letting us be ourselves, truly come out and compete, and I know we’re going to win a lot of games and a lot of championships here. So I’m willing to sacrifice whatever everybody else thought I would be willing to make to be able to be here and be with this team.”
Being himself is one thing that makes Hall a special part of the Seahawks, safety Julian Love said.
“It was really cool to see somebody be a rookie and then get, like, that contract and become a leader and become a force multiplier, and that’s D-Hall,” Love said. “I think there’s nobody that talks more (expletive) or gets more (expletive) talked at to than Derick. Everyone’s on his ass all the time. And at the same time, everyone is hugging him, dapping him up because it’s work. Like, it’s really special when you know they earned it. It wasn’t given. There wasn’t any draft-status thing, clout, none of that. It’s all work.
“And so, yeah, he’s special. Not a person in the locker room that doesn’t love D-Hall. You’ll hear him. You probably can hear him right now if you listen closely. He’s loud. He’s funny. But he’s a pro, and he’s definitely the epitome of a Seahawk. …
“When we’re messing around, he’s the first one to show love and also roast a little bit. And so that balance, it’s like contagious, so you feel just like he’s a contagious energy. And so, yeah, I can’t speak highly enough. We’ve had a lot of great talks this offseason about him just becoming a leader for us. You know, he was rotating a lot last year, the past few years. But when he’s on the field, we’re a better defense.”
Hall said the way he fits in with his teammates was one of the reasons he wanted to stay with Seattle.
“Just magnifying, being myself, and I think the guys are receptive to that,” Hall said. “They know when I come in the building, I’m going to be loud. I’m going to talk my junk. They’re going to talk back. We’re going to have a good time. We’re going to be shadow boxing 100 times a day. I may win one, I may win 50, but the conversation and talking crap still’s going to be the same. So I think it’s pretty cool, man. Just the camaraderie and love that we have for one another is special.
“And then, like I said, man, just signing an extension and walking in the meeting and walking in the locker room, it was just so special. Everybody’s so happy for me, and, obviously, vice versa. For me to be able to stay here and continue to play with these guys is very special to me.”
Hall had a season left on the four-year, $9.116 million contract he signed as a second-round draft pick from Auburn in 2023. Designed to keep Hall with the Seahawks through the 2029 season, the extension is worth $42 million and includes a $13 million signing bonus and $21 million in guaranteed money.
Hall signed the extension about one month after he was featured in a promotional campaign from Huggies titled “Natural Born Fighters.” The baby-product brand sought to recognize the strength of NICU babies and support their families, nurses and other caregivers.
When Hall was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on March 19, 2001, he was four months premature and weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces. He spent nearly the first five months of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Memorial Hospital Gulfport.
“It’s pretty special looking from where I come from to looking at where the Lord has blessed me now, man,” Hall said. “It’s unbelievable, it’s unimaginable and just continues to show people, man, no matter where you start, no matter where you come from, there’s always hope. And I’m big in my faith, obviously, so I’m faith-based. But, I mean, you just believe in God, man, the sky’s the limit.”
Hall started 14 times and recorded eight sacks in 2024, when he played 674 defensive snaps. In 2025, the additions of 11-year veteran DeMarcus Lawrence and nine-year veteran Dante Fowler reduced Hall’s playing time, and he had two sacks, three starts and 420 defensive snaps in 14 regular-season games.
But during Seattle’s 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, Hall matched his season total with two sacks.
On his second sack, Hall caused quarterback Drake Maye to fumble, and the Seahawks recovered at the New England 37-yard line. Seattle cashed in the strip-sack for the game’s first touchdown to take a 19-0 lead with 13:34 to play.
“Last year was pretty tough for me,” Hall said. “I mean, obviously, the pass-rush rate was high, the pressure rate was high, but it was hard for me to get home. And I would just always, I’m like, ‘God, like, I’m there, I’m there, I’m there.’ And, man, I was letting it worry me so much, and one night I just prayed. I’m like, ‘Lord, whenever the time comes, I’ll be here. I’ll be prepared. I’m just continue to do the work, continue to grind every day, and put my best foot forward.’
“And what better time for it to show itself than on the worldwide stage, man, the Super Bowl, and I was just overjoyed. You know, I was so overjoyed for that moment, knowing all the work that I put in all year and having it show up at that time, it was pretty special for me.”
Hall said he had plenty of room to grow as the Seahawks seek to repeat as the NFL champions in the 2026 season.
“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Hall said. “There’s so much more for me, and I know there’s so much greater heights that I can go to in my game of ball, and it’s just continue to work towards that every single day. …
“Just detailing out my game, detailing out my pass rush. Like, again, power’s my thing. I feel like I set the edge, I play the run really well. But, man, just being able to get back out on edges, being able to set up my rushes a lot better and turn those pressures and hits that I had last year into sacks and getting there just that much of a tick faster, and I think we’re drilling that every single day. And that’s what I’m working. I haven’t worked any power.
“And that’s just what it is for me, man. I’m just trying to put the nail on the hammer, keep pushing the envelope and continue to grow in the areas where I feel like I need to grow.”
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